Das Verb 'essen'
Irregular conjugation of essen (to eat)
Can talk about eating using the irregular verb essen
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Was isst du gern?
What do you like to eat?
Er isst jeden Tag Brot zum Frühstück.
He eats bread for breakfast every day.
Wir essen um 12 Uhr Mittag.
We eat lunch at 12 o'clock.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Essen (to eat) ist ein unregelmäßiges Verb mit Stammvokalwechsel e → i in der du- und er-Form.
| Person | Form | Person | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | esse | wir | essen |
| du | isst | ihr | esst |
| er/sie/es | isst | sie/Sie | essen |
Perfekt: Essen bildet das Perfekt mit haben: Ich habe Pizza gegessen. (Partizip II: ge-gess-en, unregelmäßig).
Verwendung: Was isst du gern? Wir essen um 12 Uhr Mittag. Verwandte Wörter: das Essen (the food/meal), das Frühstück (breakfast).
Common Error Patterns
Incorrect verb ending for the subject
Review verb conjugation tables and practice matching endings to pronouns
Forgot stem vowel change in irregular verbs
Practice stem-changing verbs (e→i, e→ie, a→ä) with flashcards
Verb placed in wrong position
Remember: V2 in main clauses, verb-final in subordinate clauses
Was isst du gern?
What do you like to eat?
essen: du isst — stem change e → i.
Er isst jeden Tag Brot zum Frühstück.
He eats bread for breakfast every day.
er isst — same form as du isst (both use i).
Wir essen um 12 Uhr Mittag.
We eat lunch at 12 o'clock.
Wir essen — no stem change in the wir-form.
Prerequisites
Also in Verbs
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises